Who voted for the MLB rule changes that brought in the pitch clock and larger bases?
The MLB votes are in and the rules will change as of 2023, seeing larger bases, pitch clocks, and an infield shift ban as the newest additions to baseball.
The votes are in, and it is not good news, I am afraid. Well, to be more precise, it is mixed news. The MLB Competition Committee, which was established as part of the off-season lockout negotiations, has instituted three rule changes for the 2023 season, one good, one bad, and one terrible.
The committee is made up of 11 members, six representing management, four players, and one umpire. When the vote came around it is unsurprising how the breakdown turned out. Larger bases is seen as a safety issue and was passed unanimously, whereas the ban on infield shifts and pitch clocks split opinions. Tellingly, the pitch clock and shift ban resolutions saw all of management vote in favor and every player vote against.
Larger Bases
The bases will increase in size from 15 inches square to 18 inches square. Widely supported and seen as a safety issue, particularly at first base where foot entanglements and injuries are most common, this resolution passed with unanimous support.
Infield Shift
The new rule will require four infield players apart from the pitcher and catcher to stand with their feet on the dirt, with two players on either side of second base when the pitch is delivered. This rule is an abomination and was passed by a split vote, with management voting in favor and players voting against.
Requiring players to stand in their specific spots as drawn on a diagram is wholly incompatible with the game of baseball. Don’t like infield shifts? Learn how to hit the ball properly.
Teams have given analytics staff more and more sway in recent years, and that is the main reason that flawed batters have become the norm in baseball. Yes, flawed. If you can hit 40 bombs a year, but only just scrape together a .120 average, you have a gaping hole in your swing that should be exploited. If you can’t hit the ball to where it is pitched, but instead have a favored side that you hit to, you deserve to be punished by having the defense shift on you.
Let’s be clear here: it is good to have an analytics department, but they don’t belong in the dugout, and much less should they be the impulse for rule changes.
Pitch Clock
The details of the pitch clock are as follows:
- A pitch must be delivered within 15 seconds when the bases are empty
- A pitch must be delivered within 20 seconds when the bases are occupied
- A pitcher is allowed to disengage from the rubber twice per plate appearance
- Batters must be in the batter’s box and “alert” when the pitch clock reaches 8 seconds
- Batters may call time out once per at-bat
- Catchers must be in the catcher’s box when the pitch clock reaches 9 seconds
- Mound visits are limited to 30 seconds
It is difficult to sufficiently spell out what a travesty this pile of garbage is. Clocks in baseball is a vile concept, like adding porn to an Easter communion church service.
While there is nothing wrong with getting batters and pitchers to work faster per-se; to stop playing with their batting gloves, to get in the box and go; making fast work the benchmark that players are required to adhere to is not only wrong, but wrong-headed. Sometimes, as a batter, you have to take a step out and catch your breath. Sometimes the pitcher needs to slow the pace down so that he can gain control of his pitches.
As a catcher, I used to set myself, then look at the batter’s set up, and reset myself accordingly. Not only did this take a second or two, but now requiring the catcher to be in the box a second before the batter would mean that my reset would result in a ball being awarded to the batter.
And then we get to the meat and potatoes. Pickoffs. Two rubber disengagements per plate appearance? TWO? So if you get into something big, like, oh I don’t know, maybe the World Series, the likelihood that you have a base running threat on first base increase exponentially. You pick over to first to keep him close. He challenges you, so you go to first again. Then, what? You simply give him second. A third move to first must result in an out or it will be called a balk and he gets the base anyway. So now your catcher is working with handcuffs on, because the runner is going. You know he is going. The fans know he is going. Everyone knows that he is going. His lead and jump are immense, because there is nothing the pitcher can do about it.
This rule is a steaming turd smeared across the face of baseball and the fact that the management are in favor, and management are only concerned with ticket sales, merchandising, and especially tv rights where they make more money if they hit a time slot, but the fact that they over ruled the players to institute this rule shows where their loyalty lies. Here is a hint for you: it is not with the integrity of baseball.